


a cup of tea, a loaded gun

by mikararinna



Category: NCT (Band)
Genre: A lil dark, Alternate Universe - Convenience Store, Attempt at Humor, Attempted robbery, Bad Flirting, Fluff, M/M, Robbery, how do i tag again ugh
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-10-11
Updated: 2017-10-11
Packaged: 2019-01-16 00:14:29
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,584
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12331668
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/mikararinna/pseuds/mikararinna
Summary: "do you want to die?""yeah, sure,"





	a cup of tea, a loaded gun

**Author's Note:**

> prompt; 
> 
> neighbourhood's robber meets the emo staff handling the cashier at the convenience store down the road

Jaehyun made sure the gun he stole was still with him after he had confirmed that the pocket knife he brought was safely kept in his pocket. Just in case, he thought. Nobody was ever overly prepared. He looked at his surrounding with what the dimmed street lights could light on. It was already 3 in the morning and he had everything planned out since a week ago.

He glanced inside the convenience store. It was empty, aside from the black-haired staff handling the cashier. The convenience store opened for 24-hours, located at the far end of the town but a few blocks away from a residential area. Most times, usually after midnight, the convenience store was void of customers. Which only left the cashier working his late shift. Based on Jaehyun's calculation and a once-over of the cashier, the black-haired staff was too scrawny and thin to fight back.

Jaehyun thought the lucks must be on him since he could get by with the robbery without much effort of holding back the staff. A bonus was that the convenience store didn’t have a surveillance camera. Pretty dumb of the owner to leave an unattended 24-hours convenience store located at the far end of the town without security.

But that didn’t matter to Jaehyun. He could get the money, enjoy himself and maybe take a vacation while successfully pissing off his super rich, super busy parents. Delightful!

He placed the gun inside his hoodie. His plan was fool proof. Jaehyun walked inside the convenience store casually. The staff handling the cash register spared a glance at him before looking away and stared at nothing. Jaehyun pretended he was like any other customer, looking through shelves of chips and canned drinks. Just to make sure, in case someone decided to come in at 3AM for a tub of ice cream.

He walked to the front of the cash register, pretending to look over various lollipop flavours before he took out the gun in his hoodie and aimed at the cashier. The cashier didn’t flinch as he glanced between the gun and Jaehyun.

“How may I help you sir?” the cashier asked, his voice sounding deader than the night. Jaehyun took note of the baggage under the male's eyes, if he wasn’t here to rob the convenience store, he probably had took pity of the male.

“Hand me all the money inside the cash register and any valuables you have with you.” Jaehyun said in a stern voice, the gun still aimed neatly towards the cashier.

The cashier took a look at the cash register beside him and glanced back at Jaehyun. “I’m sorry I can’t do that sir.” He said.

“What?” Jaehyun hissed. “I said hand me the money, do you not hear that clearly?”

The cashier took it upon himself to just ignore Jaehyun. How dare he ignore the most efficient – most handsome – wanted man of the neighbourhood? What was this disrespect!

“Listen kid, I want you to take that goddamn plastic bag and stuff it with money from the cash register. Hand it over to me and speak no word of this, then maybe I can spare you.” He said in a calm tone. He was ready to bark orders at the cashier but he didn’t want to take a risk.

Also, because the male before him looked pale and tired and Jaehyun didn’t have it in his cold theft heart to shout at the poor male.

But it started to get onto Jaehyun's nerves when the male didn’t flinch and acted indifferent towards the whole situation. He eyed the gun in Jaehyun's hand and his eyes fell back towards Jaehyun. Really, this kid was ticking him off.

“Hey I just want to get this over with but apparently you don’t think the same yeah? Would you like it if I left you here on the cold convenience store floor, lifeless and bleeding out? Do you want to die?” He snarled at the male.

Threats. Threats were always good to shaken up the victim. No one liked to die, so threatening to kill him will be perfect-  
“Yeah, sure,”  
...or maybe not.

Jaehyun eyed the black-haired man before him, scanning through his face for any signs of joking. Kids nowadays liked to joke about death right? Right?

Wrong?

He scanned the male's face, making sure the male wasn’t joking. And he wasn’t. He was dead serious. The male eyed the gun in Jaehyun's hand like his life depended on it. And no Jaehyun was not about to take that risk. He was here to rob the convenience store, not to rob someone's life away.

“Damn man,” Jaehyun breathed out. “Do you want to talk about it?” he asked as he lowered down the gun.

The male looked at the lowered down gun. His face crestfallen as if he had hoped for Jaehyun to pull the trigger. Which even if the situation called for, Jaehyun would not pull the trigger. He was not that heartless.

Jaehyun hid the gun back inside his hoodie. He took the cashier's hands and pulled him to the provided tables and chairs inside the convenience store. He brewed two cups of instant tea from the dispenser and brought it to the table without paying like he should be. Jaehyun's eyes wandered towards the cashier's nametag. The ‘Hi! My name is Doyoung, how may I help you?’ with the classic smiley face at the end as if mocking them.

“So Doyoung, is it?” Jaehyun started. Doyoung looked up from the cup of tea wrapped in his hands. “Would you like to talk about it?” Jaehyun had to remind himself that he was a thief, a robber and not someone’s therapist on-the-go.

Doyoung held his head down, glaring holes at the cup of tea. “Do you ever just feel tired?” Doyoung asked.

Jaehyun arched an eyebrow. “Yeah like tired where you just want to go to sleep right?” he replied.

“No, just tired. So fucking tired of everything. Tired of waking, tired of sleeping. Tired of living. Just tired!” Doyoung said with gritted teeth. His hands weren’t around the cup anymore, it was clenched tightly at his side.

Okay, so maybe this guy had more issues than what Jaehyun had imagined. And if he didn’t kill Doyoung earlier, the young cashier would kill him sooner or later. Which was another risk he was unwilling to take but it was too late to back down now.

“Why are you tired?” Jaehyun asked. And no, he wasn’t born a therapist but he could at least try, right? Right? Doyoung buried his head in his hands as he groaned. “I don’t know!” he wailed and Jaehyun whimpered.

Right, don’t ask someone how they feel or why they feel. Lesson one in therapist on-the-go.

Jaehyun sighed. “Would you like to talk about yourself?” he said, hesitantly. “Like your hobbies? Anything that makes you feel comfortable?” he tried.

“I used to love singing,” Doyoung mumbled as he raised his head a little. “It was so fun with everyone and we were laughing, we had so much fun. But that stupid school and it’s stupid system refusing to let us practice recitals. Fuck that school and everyone inside it, I hope they burn to ashes in a fire.”

Lesson two in therapist on-the-go, let your patient ramble about their life even if they scare you with how much of a sadist they are.

Doyoung let his hands fell back onto the table. He wasn’t being quiet when his arms fall onto the table with a bang. Jaehyun flinched but Doyoung didn’t seem to care. He had this faraway look in his eyes, Jaehyun noted. And there was a glint of happiness before the eyes turn dull again.

“I remember being happy,” Doyoung whispered. “I remember when I was young, I used to play with my neighbour. We had so much fun together until mom said we had to move. I hate moving, it takes away your comfort bubble with you. I hate new places and new people. They’re scary. Everyone has a clique of their own and you are another castaway. It’s scary.”

Jaehyun thought that it was more sad than scary. Everyone had their own group of friends and treated you like shit just because you came in late. But Jaehyun didn’t comment on that. It was lesson three of therapist on-the-go after all, never interrupt your patient.

There was the electronic bell from the door, signalling a new customer. Jaehyun glanced at the wall clock hang behind the cash register. It was already morning and the streaks of sunlight peek inside the convenience store. Jaehyun didn’t even realize that time had pass them. The cup of tea in his hands were now cold and stale. The customer who just entered loked at them weirdly before moving along the shelves of instant food.

Jaehyun sighed because he still had the gun and knife with him and he totally did not want to be question by the police even though he had done nothing at all. Jaehyun patted Doyoung's shoulder and the male raised his head to meet his eyes.

Jaehyun smiled at him, “I’m sorry I got to go.” He said. “But you work another late night shift later on right?” Doyoung replied with a nod. “Great, then I’ll meet you later tonight.” Jaehyun said with a smile.

He made his way to the exit, throwing away the untouched cup of tea into the provided bin. After he exited, Jaehyun turned and waved goodbye to Doyoung through the glass window. Doyoung didn’t smile, in fact he looked just as void of emotion when Jaehyun tried to rob him earlier. But he waved back, albeit looking more robotic and unnatural unlike Jaehyun's wave.

But it was good. At least he waved now.

 

 

  
“And she wants me to finish it by this week while I have to study for the test she prepared and another test from another lecturer. Can you believe?”

“Tragic,” Jaehyun replied with a nod of his head.

Tonight marked the third night of Jaehyun's change of line of work. Three nights since he attempted to rob this convenience store – originally to rile up his parents – only to become the emo cashier's therapist on-the-go. Three nights of listening to Doyoung and his endless sadness. For Jaehyun, who had experienced all of this said ‘sadness’ it was easier to say that Doyoung was just stressed and done with life.

His eyes was still lifeless like the day Jaehyun met him. But there was progress. Doyoung's wave this morning was less stiff and more natural than the first night.

Jaehyun learnt that Doyoung was a Computer Engineering major in his second year. Jaehyun's first thought was, nerd. Which explained a lot on why he had eye bags under his eyes and really pale complexion. Those times probably spent staring into a computer did not paid off. He was also younger than Jaehyun but more stressed out for someone who was suppose to live the wonderful life of the young and fresh.

If Jaehyun didn’t try to rob this convenience store to pissed off his parents only to become a therapist for Doyoung then he would probably be spending his night at a club downtown.

Yet here he was with another cup of tea and the sound of the air-conditioning filling Doyoung's rants. He didn’t understand why he came back. Sure, he promised for the second night but he could easily bail out. It was not the first time he broke a promise and Doyoung's a practical stranger – a stranger who asked him to kill him without a second thought – which should be fine. But it didn’t settled well with him when he was reminded of those lifeless eyes.

“This tea is shit,” Doyoung muttered after he took a sip. Jaehyun hadn’t had a sip of that tea since the first night, ending up in the waste bin all cold and stale each time. Who even drinks tea from a dispenser?

“I know and so is life,” Jaehyun started. “Not everyone can get what they want can they?” he said. Doyoung was staring blankly at the cup of tea in front of him and Jaehyun copied the action.

“What was that?” Jaehyun asked when Doyoung muttered something inaudible.

Doyoung raised his head and stared at Jaehyun dead in the eyes. The same stare he had been giving him since the first night. It brought shivers to Jaehyun's body but it also excite him, which was weird because he must have some issues of his own.

“What do you want?” Doyoung asked him again.

“Well I want a lot of things,” he said. “Let’s see, I want the cash in the machine, the cash in your wallet, your credit cards and, oh! Preferably with your ATM pins.”

Truthfully speaking he didn’t need that much money. His initial plan to rob was to piss off his parents, see how longer they could pay to get him out of jail before they decided they had enough and kicked him out of the house. Perhaps also to try something new, because, hey? YOLO right? Just for good measure, he added something else.

“And you too, I would want you pretty please.” Jaehyun said while batting his eyelashes. It was a light joke really. Something he hoped could rile up the male before him but he doubts that Doyoung would play along with him. But it surprised him when Doyoung arched an eyebrow at him.

“Me?” Doyoung asked. “I’m sorry sir but I’m afraid that item is unavailable.”

Jaehyun almost laughed at the monotone service voice Doyoung presented. “Really? That’s a pity. Would you happen to know when the item will be available again?” because two can play at the game he had started.

“I’ll say it’s unpredictable. But the item comes with free gifts of anxiety and stressing out over college assignments,” Doyoung replied. “Would you still purchase it?”

Jaehyun smiled. “I could give the item a warranty of attention. I’ll pay everything in a cheque of support or would you prefer a cash of heartfelt compliments?” There was a quick flicker of emotions in Doyoung's eyes and he swore he could’ve seen a soft pink at the tip of his ears but all little gestures are being unnoticed because Doyoung was smiling at him.

A small, shy smile directed to him after three late nights of tea and rants. “I’m sorry but we only accept credit cards of sincerity and true passion.”

There was the electronic bell again, signalling the entrance of a new customer, but Jaehyun was too caught up in the situation in hand to care about that now.

“I’ll make sure I pay insurance for it. All things honest and real,” he realized this wasn’t playful banter anymore when Doyoung stood up, the corner of his lips curved upwards into a small smirk.

“Then maybe you can pick up the item at the coffee shop down the road tomorrow at 2pm,” Doyoung said before walking towards the back of the counter attending to the new customer.

Jaehyun sighed in disbelief as he watched Doyoung scanning the items, a small smile decorating his sharp features. He took a sip from the tea. Doyoung was right, the tea tasted like shit, all cold and stale. But there was a sweetness lingering at the back of his throat when Jaehyun saw the glint in Doyoung's eyes. And he smiled to himself.

**Author's Note:**

> written for a great friend of mine; to Sphere, my emo friend who gave me this prompt and drove (forced) me to write this and drove (convinced and forced) me to post this. Who is also a big DoJae shipper and the biggest Doyoung stan I know. (who also dragged me into NCT, but that's another story)
> 
> anyways, hi I'm new and I'm still getting to know NCT so yea. sorry if there was any mistakes, hope you enjoyed it <3 xo


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